Automatic propeller-governor for boats



H. 1. musas.- AUTO'MTIC FROPELLER GOVERNOR FOR BOATS. APPLICATION FILEUJUNE 4. 1,918.

1.376,632. Patented Mays,

y 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Hans J. Nielsen.

UNITED STATES HANS J. NIELSEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC PROPELLER-GOVERNOR FOR BOATS.

Application filed .Tune 4, 1918.

T all wlw-m t may concern:

Be it known that I7 HANS J. NIELSEN, citizen 0f the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Tropeller-Gtovernors for Boat-s, of which the following is a specication.

This invention is a propeller governor for automatically reducing the speed of the propeller when the boat pitches and raises the propeller out of the water and for increasing the speed of the propeller to its former speed when the boat rights itself and lowers the propeller back into the water.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, I disclose my invention in the form which I consider the best, but I do not limit my invention to such form because it may be embodied in other forms and it is to be understood that in and by the claims following the description herein, I intend to cover the invention in whatever form it may he embodied.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a boat equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a front View of my invention.

Fig. 4 is an end view of my invention.

F i 5 is a view of the trip arm.

In the drawing, 1 indicates a standard mounted in the boat 2, to which standard is secured a plate 3. On the plate 3 is mounted a pendulum 4. Said pendulum includes an upper arm 5 hinged at 6 to the plate 3, a lower arm 7 hinged at 8 to the upper arm, a weight 9 slidably mounted on said lower arm and an adjusting screw 10 journaled in bearing 11 on the lower end of lower arm 7 and extending through said weight in engagement therewith. The arm 5 is pivoted so that it may swing longitudinally of the (ICU ship in guide 12 secured to the plate 3, but

not transversely thereof. The lower arm 7 is hinged to the upper arm 5 so that it will swing with the arm 5 longitudinally of the ship and transversely of the ship with relation to the upper arm so that the weight 9 willnot impose any strain on the pivot 6 when the ship pitches transversely. The

amplitude of the pendulum may be varied Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

seran No. 238,129.

byturning the screw 10 which moves the weight 9 up and down on the arm 7. A pawl 13 is pivoted at 14 to the pendulum arm 5, the lower swinging movement of said pawl being limited by a stop 15 on said arm. .The pawl 13 has a shoulder 16, Vfor engaging an arm 17 on the upper end of a lever 18 pivoted at 19 to the plate 3 and a cam surface 2O eccentric to the center of pivot 6 for engaging a trip arm pivoted to the plate 3 and coupled to the upper end of a rod 22 mounted in bearings 23 and 24 secured to the plate 3. The upper portion of the rod 22 is threaded and engages a thread in the bearing 24. The arm 21 is notched to receive the upper end of the rod 22 and nuts 25 and 26 screw on the rod against the trip arm and couple the arm and rod.

1 segmental gear 30 is secured to the pivot 19 of lever 18 and meshes with a pinion 31 journaled on a stud 32 on the plate 3. A segmental gear 33 also journaled on stud 32 and secured to pinion 31 meshes with a pinion 34 secured on the outer end of stem 35 of valve 36 which controls the steam pipe 37 leading from the boiler 38 to the engine 39. 'Ihe lower end of thelever 18 is provided with a slot 40 into which projects pin 42 on the outer end of piston rod 43, on the inner end of which rod is secured piston 44 reciprocatively mounted on cylinder 45. A

tube 46 leads from said cylinder into the engine condenser 47. The condenser operates under the influence of a vacuum pump 48 driven by the engine 39. The engine shaft 49 extends through the stern of the boat and the propeller 50 is secured to the outer end of said shaft.

If the boat pitches stern end downward, the pendulum 4 swings to the right and the amount of steam passing from the boiler to the engine and reduces the speed of the propeller, but the valve cannot shut olf the steam altogether and stop the propeller because the valve closing member is of' less diameter than the valve casing, so that some steam may pass to the engine and run the propeller slowly even though the valve be closed. As the piston 44 is drawn outwardly a vacuum is established behind the piston by the Vacuum pump through the condenser 47 and pipe 46. When the pendulum has swung to a predetermined posi tion to the left, the trip arm 21 engaging cam 20 trips the pawl shoulder 16 off the arm 17, whereupon air pressure forces piston 44 to the left and the valve 36 is opened before the boat rights itself and submerges the propeller, through the medium of rod 43, lever 18, segmental gear 30, pinion 31, segmental gear 33 and pinion 34. By the time the boat rights itself and submerges the propeller, the valve 36 has admitted the normal amount of steam to the engine and the engine is speeding up the propeller. The engine quickly speeds up the propeller to normal and normal running of the boat is quickly restored.

The pawl 13 may be made to trip the arm 17 and open the valve 36 sooner or later by adjusting the vtrip arm 21 on its pivot by turning the rod 22.

B decreasing the speed of the propeller whi e it is out of water, the danger of the propeller pounding the water and breaking when it again submerges is eliminated.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1.` A propeller governor for a boat including in combination with a power controlling device for the propeller of the boat, a pendulum mounted in the boat to swing forwardly and sternwardly as the boat pitches forwardly or sternwardly, mechanism actuated by said pendulum when it swings forwardly to actuate said power device to reduce the speed of the propeller, and means controlled by the engine condenser vacuumfifor actuating said mechanism to actuate said controlling device to increase the speed of Y the propeller-when said pendulum has done its work. Y

2. A propeller governor for a boat including in combination with a power controlling device for the propeller of the boat, a pendulum mounted on the boat to swing forwardly or sternwardly as the boat pitches forwardly orV sternwardly, a pawl on said pendulum, a lever, means on said lever for engaging said pawl for swinging the lever in one direction when the pendulum swings forwardly, mechanism actuated by said lever when so swung to cause said power controlling device to decrease the speed of the propeller, and means for swinging said lever in the other direction to actuate said mechanism to cause said power controlling device to increase the speed or the propeller when said pendulum has done its work.

3. A propeller governor for a boat including in combination with a power controlling device for the propeller of the boat, a pendulum mounted on the boat to swing forwardly or sternwardly as the boat pitches swinging said lever in the other direction,

when said pawl and pawl engaging means are disengaged, to actuate said mechanism to cause said power controlling device to increase the speed of the propeller.

4. A propeller governor for a boat including in combination with a power controlling device for the propeller of the boat, a pendulum mounted on the boat to swing as the boat pitches forwardly or sternwardly, mechanism actuated by said pendulum,

when the boat pitches forwardly, to cause` said power controlling device to decrease the speed of the propeller, means for rendering said pendulum ineliective when it has swung a predetermined distance under the influence of the forward downward inclination of the boat, and means or actuating said mechanism, when said pendulum is made ineifective, to actuate said power controlling device toincrease the speed of the propeller.

5. A propeller governor including` a pendulum, a pawl on said pendulum, a lever, engaging means on said lever for engaging said pawl, a power controlling device, gearing actuated by said lever for actuating said cbntrolling device to decrease the power, and a piston and cylinder for actuating said lever, gearing and power controlling device to decrease the power when the pendulum has swung to a certain position. Y

6. A propeller governor including a pen dulum, a pawl on said pendulum, a lever, engaging means on said lever 'for engaging said pawl, aV power controlling device to decrease the power, means Jfor tripping said pawl from said engaging means when the pendulum has swung to a predetermined position, and a piston and cylinder for actuating said lever, gearing and power controlling device to decrease the power when said pawl is tripped.

7 A propeller governor including a pendulum, a pawl on said pendulum, a lever engaging means on said lever for engaging said pawl, a power controlling device to de- 5 crease the power, means for tripping said pawl from said engaging means when the pendulum has swung to a predetermined position, a piston and cylinder for actuating said lever, gearing and power controlling device to decrease the power when said pawl 10 is tripped, and means for adjusting Said tripping means.

In testimony whereof I aix mv signature.

HANS J. NELSEN. 

